Beer: Reviews & Ratings

Presentation: Big thanks to Brydeen for this bomber bottle. Chilled and poured into my Dogfish Head tulip.

Appearance: Bright orange in color. Maybe a touch cloudy but pretty clear for the most part. Pours a nice, white, creamy, two finger head with good retention. Leaves a nice lacing all along the glass.

Aroma: Really nice pineapple and tropical fruit sweetness. A touch of bitter pine as well. A touch of a bready tone as well. Really nice fruity and citrusy tones throughout.

Taste: Tons of citrus and pineapple tones from the hops. A lot more on the tropical and citrus side than pine, but there is a touch of pine bitterness at the end. An interesting, spicy, slightly bready note at the end from the rye.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly crisp and refreshing upfront. There's definitely some body to this beer but its drinks very light.

Overall, a really crisp and refreshing double IPA. The rye does add a nice dimension and mixes well with the sweet tropical tones from the hops. Really drinkable and tasty considering the ABV. Definitely a nicely made beer. (1,066 characters)

Huge thanks for aasher for sending this out in a recent trade. You rock, Al!

Pours a hazed medium orange color topped by a frothy off-white foam. Great retention, lacing clinging to the glass. Big juicy citrus hops and a touch of sticky dankness greet the nose first. Some floral notes arrive later as does a subtle fruity, berry-like ester. Creeping bitterness escalates on the palate, climbing it's way through the tangerine and mango fruity hop tangle. Solid foundation of a lightly toasty, subtly peppery malt backbone. Medium bodied with a moderate carbonation.

Golden coloring and a thick creamy head, this IPA sets itself apart in looks alone. The lacing is tremendous and head is bright white and fluffy.

The nose is exquisite with soft pine notes, lemon, orange citrus and even cantaloupe.

The taste is of a quality IPA, strong piney resins, lemon, and a hint of rye. The rye is nice at the back and I found myself begging for more. The end is a bit tinny and lends to mouthfeel but the overall structure is pure quality. (465 characters)

Pours a slightly reddish orange with light layer of white head. Nose is chock full of ripe grapefruit, pine hops, and slightly spicy rye. Notes of lemon sneak in as well. Taste is somewhat sweet and malty with a nice bright fruity flavor that pairs nicely with a slightly spicy and bitter hop character. Mouthfeel is light to medium with moderate carbonation. Overall, another delicious hoppy brew from Three Floyds. Worth seeking out. (435 characters)

S - There's a ton of rye in here, along with a hefty dose of lemon zest and piney hops. There's a hint of tropical fruits, a hint of soap, touch of onion, and lightly burnt sugary malts. Really earthy and spicy, but not a ton of alcohol which is a plus.

T - The flavor is a little bit sweeter and reveals more of it's DIPA nature here. There's some juicy tropical fruit mixed with candied citrus over top of a moderately sugary malt backdrop. Rye is present but not in the same intensity as the aroma. Slightly yeast finish with medium bitterness.

M - Medium-full body, with some nice dryness to it. Not sure of the ABV, but there's not much burn or alcohol warmth - just a creeping buzz that sets in after 10oz or so. Zesty but pleasant carbonation.

D - Not as strong as Rye'd the Lightning but still another enjoyable beer from 3 Floyds. The 'imperial'-izing of the recipe has diminished the drinkability and I don't like the balance of flavors quite as much. Still, definitely worth checking out if you like hoppy rye beers! (1,192 characters)

t - Tastes of grapefruit, citrus hops, fruity malts, rye, tropical fruits, lemon, floral hops, earthy notes, and some pineapple. More citrus here and less rye, but still very hoppy and awesome. Taste has some moderate bitterness to it, but not too much considering the ABV.

Appearance: Tiger pours a hazy orange color and is topped with ¾”of white head that tends to hang around nicelySmell: The aroma of this beer is a beautiful blend of rye malt and hops that makes my mouth water without even tasting it. Taste: The flavor of this beer could be a bit hoppier but it does have a nice blend of hops to malt for a 2x rye IPA. Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and not as easy going down as some IIPA but it does get a small pass since it is rye based (473 characters)

22oz bottle poured into a FFF Teku glass. From the most recent December/January 2012/13 release.

Rye'da Tiger pours a lovely bright copper color, hues of orange and gold, somewhat cloudy, lots of sediment floating in the glass with a few bubbles rising up from the bottom. A nice, thick, cloudy, white head rises out of the beer, nearly 2 fingers high, tightly packed bubbles that has great retention and leaves behind a large network of soapy lacing. The aroma is superb, bright citrus with light subtle floral notes, resinous pine and some earthy grass lead to sweet pale grain and a bit of fusel alcohol. Bright citrus hits the tongue, grapefruit with lighter tangerine, lovely floral notes come out with a big burst of sticky, oily pine and bitter, earthy notes of grass and weeds, prickly rye is apparent with some sweet grain and strong astringent alcohol. The body is somewhat oily and soapy, medium carbonation, coats the mouth well and has a slightly dry finish with a touch of alcohol bite.

Verdict: A wonderful Imperial Rye IPA from Three Floyds. The hop profile is so bright and vibrant, really shows off the freshness of the beer, the rye is a subtle touch that adds a nice bit of complexity and while this is certainly a boozy beer, the alcohol is never that much of a distraction, a very worthy IPA for any hop head. (1,334 characters)

T: It starts out malty and sweet, but shifts quickly to big time rye spice. I get rye, yeast, onion, rose hips, and orange in the middle. As it progresses the spice and hops dominate. The finish is drying, but syrupy. Hard to explain.

M: Full bodied beer. It's sweet and coating to start, spicy and citrus hopped in the middle, syrupy and spicy in the back end.

O: Good beer. Not the best. I love rye beers, and this is nice, but I have had better. The finish is too sticky and the onion notes are not my thing. I'm happy to have tried this, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get it again. (874 characters)

A: Fairly hazy flat burnt-orange in color. Forms a thick white head that has excellent retention and leaves quite a bit of foam on the way down.

S: Lightly sweet caramel base with lots of citrus and orange hops. Pine and mango to a lesser extent with the rye picking up on the back end.

T: Rather sweet with the unmistakable flavor of orange juice, but the OJ is balanced out with the spice of the rye, a lot of tropical fruit, and just a touch of pine. There is a little alcohol on the finish, but it is rather tame.

M: Medium bodied with a sweetness that is present throughout the beer. Mild bitterness. Medium carbonation.

O: Another very nice beer from FFF. Typically, I would find a beer like this to be too sweet for my tastes, but the sweetness plays well with the tropical fruit flavors while the rye seems to balance it out. In the end, it makes for an enjoyable beer. (885 characters)

Poured from a bomber into a tulip. It pours out a beautiful hazy orange and yellow color very reminiscent of a Belgian Wit. There are 2 fingers of nice rocky head with outstanding retention. The nose is wonderful. Nice big tropical fruits like peaches, lemons, oranges, and grapefruits.

Wow, this beer has terrific flavor. It's really well-hopped, but not as wonderfully bitter as Dreadnaught. I definitely detect the rye on the tongue and that woody, earthy rye spiciness really comes through (if it was heavily-hopped, it might not). The beer has a nice, slick, creamy feel and there's a good deal of fruity sweetness underneath the rye and hops. I even get a bit of rye on the finish which, like all FFF's IPAs, is dry, appetizing, and lingering.

An incredibly well-balanced and well-constructed beer. So glad I got to try this. It's probably even better when it's super fresh. This is one I will drink again if given the opportunity. Highly recommended. (959 characters)

bottle picked up not hat long ago when i was visiting the FFF area. had a pint of this on tap at the brewpub, but this review is for the bottle i picked up in town. enjoyed from a FFF teku.

a - brew poured a deep murky orange with a thin off white head of tiny bubbles. visible carbonation could be seen rising to the surface of the glass from the bottom. when held to the light, the brew was semi transparent.

s - much more hoppy and tropical citrus than i remembered when i had it on tap at the brew pub. has a nice glazing of rye coming in strong on the nose as well. i remember thinking that this one didn't hold a candle to rye'da lightning when i had it on tap, but this bottle seems to have a really fresh tropical vibe going on.

t - the flavor comes in big with rye leading the way trailed by a really nice citric hop and subtle bittering on the finish.

m - soft and a bit light bodied. doesn't pack much of a punch. a bit watery even.

o - overall, not as wonderful as rye'da lightning, but still worth seeking out. FFF does a really great job with a rye beer. (1,074 characters)

Had this this twice in the the last few days, once on tap and now the bottled version. Going to attempt an awkward consolidated format review, as that's what the current fashion dictates. Looks like a He-Man powercat on the label... yesss.

Huge creamy head of white foam, leaves sheets of lace all down the glass. Murky orange otherwise.

Smooth delivery and only the slightest nuance of booze to the skull. Extra fruity with and enchanting arrhythmia of sensory flavors akin to Pee-Wee's Playhouse. Still listening? Ok. Lots of citrus peel, earthy mango, apricot sweetness, dry and mildly bitter aftertaste. Squarely kicks the hop craving right over the horizon. (894 characters)

A: Pours a clear golden yellow color with some amber hues. A fluffy white head recedes to a thin ring and leaves sticky sheets of lace behind.

S: Some rye earthiness and spiciness with a dash of fruity hops. Some nice citrus with grapefruits and oranges with a dash of sticky strawberry jam.

T: The taste is very much like the nose. Spicy rye with some citrus and sticky berry hops profiles. There is a touch of bitterness in the finsh as well.

M: Medium bodied with a sticky and oily mouthfeel. Medium carbonation with a bitter finish.

O: I definitely enjoyed this guy, but I found Rye'da Lightning a far superiour beer. I think it lost some of its drinkability with the imperializing of it. A good beer that I would like to have again, though. (797 characters)

A- pours a rustic orange with an off white head forming quite nicely, wonderful beer to gaze

S- lots of the typical three floyds ipa aroma but a tad tamer than i expected; mango, papaya a touch of passionfruit with some grassiness towards the finish, with some rye spice barely showing up at the end.

T-is along the notes of the smell, but the rye does make more of an appearance...but still seems like a bit much to be calling this a rye double IPA. I've had single rye ipas that intermingle the rye flavors with the hops in a better manner

M- light carbonation, doesn't detract, keeps it dry enough to make it easy to drink despite the abv

O- Despite the lack of Rye really going on with this, its still a great must try IPA (731 characters)

Poured into a pint glass from the bomber. The other half of the bottle was used in Smoked Gouda Soup, and it was fabulous. Leaving a nice off-white head, the beer was a copper color with tons of sediment floating in the glass. The sediment reminds me of a winter snow globe. The initial aroma is hops, this is obviously a beer by the Floyds. One also gets the alcohol in the aroma, but this is a minor issue. In the initial taste, the beer bursted with grapefruit like hops. A citrusy pineapple, a hint a peach skin and some pine were also present. Where this beer gets interesting is in the aftertaste. The tartness of the rye is accompanied by a grapefruit marmalade accent. The thicker texture really allows the flavor to linger and mellow on the tongue. And while the citrus mellows, the rye just seems top stay. A mild alcohol warming makes an impression, though it is surprisingly mellow for the ABV. Overall, this is a great beer. Best of all, no lines outside the building necessary for this one. (1,004 characters)

Thanks to AtlCarl for a great recent trade involving all sorts of things I'd been lusting after. You know if a guy you're trading with for the first time hits you up while on vacation & says "Hey, you want this beer?" that it's going to be a good swap. 22 oz. bottle split with my wife.

Rye'da Tiger is like a little touch of Jamaican soil dropped into a V-Mango-8. Mango & fruits from warmer climes are jarred with a forearm of bitterness to the teeth. The rye shows as a mix of the earthiness & spice - I usually find one or the other, but they're both ringing the bell. The mixture is sublime. Ice-slippery, Rye'da is a brief ride. It's not going to last long.

I find 3F seriously inconsistent; this beer shows off the Alpha King side of the brewery & not the, well, shitty side. Seriously excellent beer. (1,024 characters)

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating but was purchased recently. Pours extremely hazy orange amber color with a very nice 2-3 finger dense off white head with awesome retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of huge mango, pineapple, grapefruit, orange zest, caramel, rye spiciness, pine, floral, herbal, and citrus rind. Fantastic aromas with great balance of hop complexity and rye malts. Taste of pineapple, mango, grapefruit, orange zest, caramel, spicy rye, light pine, bread, floral, citrus rind, earthiness, and herbal spiciness. Good amount of earthy citrus rind bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of pineapple, mango, grapefruit, orange zest, caramel, bread, pine, floral, rye spiciness, citrus rind, and herbal earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic balance and complexity of hop flavors; with a very nice balance with the rye spiciness; zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a creamy, sticky, and slightly crisp mouthfeel that is very nice. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic imperial Rye IPA! Great hop flavor complexity and malt balance with the rye; very smooth and easy to sip on. A highly enjoyable offering as expected. (1,363 characters)